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Red-lipped krib

Wallaceochromis rubrolabiatus

Also known as Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus

FreshwaterFish

Red-lipped krib (Wallaceochromis rubrolabiatus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Kolenté drainage, Guinea

Overview

The red-lipped krib is a West African dwarf cichlid, a touch larger than most of its krib relatives. It is moderately easy to keep.

Did you know

The red-lipped krib's genus honors a naturalist who never worked on its continent. Alfred Russel Wallace made his name in the Amazon and the Malay Archipelago. In 2016, taxonomists tied his name to this West African cichlid with the new genus Wallaceochromis.

Caring for the red-lipped krib

Set up at least 42 gal (160 L) for a red-lipped krib, with driftwood and leaf litter on a dark sand base. Add caves or half-buried pots for spawning, and keep the flow gentle and the light subdued to bring out the pair's color.

Keep the water soft and acidic, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. It works the lower tank, taking small foods. Feed frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and a fine sinking pellet, with a little vegetable matter.

Keep a single fish or a bonded pair, which holds a small bottom territory around a cave. Pairs are mostly peaceful but become protective when breeding. Give them calm, small tank mates and enough cover that the pair can claim a corner without conflict.

Males display a lipstick-red mouth, and the female flushes deep cherry-red on the belly when she is ready to breed. It is a cave spawner of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

Wallaceochromis rubrolabiatus is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae, marked with several dark vertical bars. Its species name means red lip, and it also goes by the name Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus.

In the wild

The red-lipped krib comes from the Kolente drainage in Guinea. It lives in soft, acidic streams that run through shaded forest over sand and leaf litter.

Common questions

What size tank does a red-lipped krib need?

A red-lipped krib needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a red-lipped krib need?

A red-lipped krib is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a red-lipped krib eat?

A red-lipped krib takes small foods in the lower tank. Feed it frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and a fine sinking pellet, with a little vegetable matter.

How big does a red-lipped krib get?

An adult red-lipped krib reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

How can you tell a male red-lipped krib from a female?

Males display a lipstick-red mouth. The female flushes deep cherry-red on the belly when she is ready to breed.

How does a red-lipped krib breed?

The red-lipped krib is a cave spawner of moderate difficulty. A pair holds a small territory around its cave and becomes protective when breeding.

Related species